The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

AFL I can't wait to see how that works for you.

 

[lindz8504]

I need some advice. I have a hen with 7 chicks that are 6 weeks old, 4 are hers and 3 I bought and she adopted within the first week of hatch. I also have 3 chicks that I bought a couple of weeks ago hoping that she would take them in as well, but she wouldn't. I currently have them in my regular coop, but they are separated from the other big chickens, and the 3 new chicks are in a dog crate inside the separated part of the coop. I have a heat lamp hooked up so the 3 chicks won't get chilled, but it is supposed to get into the 30's this week around here. Should I worry about them and try to figure something else out? 2 are about 5 weeks old and 1 is about 3 weeks.... the bigger ones are pretty much feathered, and the little one is starting to get feathers. Not quite sure what I should do?

 

[Pozees]

I need some advice. I have a hen with 7 chicks that are 6 weeks old, 4 are hers and 3 I bought and she adopted within the first week of hatch. I also have 3 chicks that I bought a couple of weeks ago hoping that she would take them in as well, but she wouldn't. I currently have them in my regular coop, but they are separated from the other big chickens, and the 3 new chicks are in a dog crate inside the separated part of the coop. I have a heat lamp hooked up so the 3 chicks won't get chilled, but it is supposed to get into the 30's this week around here. Should I worry about them and try to figure something else out? 2 are about 5 weeks old and 1 is about 3 weeks.... the bigger ones are pretty much feathered, and the little one is starting to get feathers. Not quite sure what I should do?

Have you tried putting the 3 under the hen at night after they've gone to sleep? That's what I would try first. Inside a coop with a light they will probably be okay anyway, but I'd still try to get them all under the hen if possible.

 

[lindz8504]

Have you tried putting the 3 under the hen at night after they've gone to sleep? That's what I would try first. Inside a coop with a light they will probably be okay anyway, but I'd still try to get them all under the hen if possible.

I did try that first. She was fine that night, but tormented them the next day and drew blood on the youngest. I just have got it pretty much healed up. I have a digital thermometer in the coop and is reading 56* F right now....

 

[delisha]

Quote: try to check the temp under the light..if it is 80 degrees under the light and they have access to under the heat..they will be fine. I would not lock them in a crate..they do not have enough room to move to heat or move away from heat. You can leave the crate in the coop, but open to door so they can get out if they need to.

 

[lindz8504]

try to check the temp under the light..if it is 80 degrees under the light and they have access to under the heat..they will be fine. I would not lock them in a crate..they do not have enough room to move to heat or move away from heat. You can leave the crate in the coop, but open to door so they can get out if they need to.

The thermometer is attached to the side of the crate. If I leave them where they are, I have to lock the crate because the mama hen tries to peck them to death if she can get to them. Below is a video of how the hen was treating them before I put them in the crate.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10202054407978704

 

[Leahs Mom]

A VERY IMPORTANT FERMENTED FEED NOTE!'

CAUTION...CAUTION...CAUTION...CAUTION...CAUTION

I want to be absolutely sure that anyone who is using glass or ceramic for fermenting does not cap the container so tightly that it cannot off-gas.

REPEAT - DO NOT CAP YOUR FERMENT VESSELS SO TIGHTLY THAT THEY CANNOT OFF-GAS. THIS CAN RESULT IN EXPLODING GLASS OR CERAMIC!


I just read a post from someone that had tightly capped their glass fermentation vessel not realizing that it needs to off-gas. I want to be sure that it is clear!!! You can just leave your lid a little "ajar"so that the gasses can escape.

I have done fermentation (sauerkraut/pickles, etc.) so long that I know that vessels need to be able to off-gas so I'm concerned that I may have just assumed that was common knowledge and not made it really clear. Fermentation produces C02 and if it can't escape, it will blow.

The water layer on top of the feed (in lacto-fermenting) keeps the feed itself from the air and that is enough of an anaerobic condition to encourage the right balance of LABs. The lid I have on my container is not screwed down but just sitting on top of the jar and allows gas to escape. If you think of the old fashioned pickle barrels, the pickles are under the liquid (brine) but the barrel itself may have a wooden lid on top (or something similar) that would allow for off-gassing.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
You're right. She is trying to kill them. You do need to protect them from that broody and raise them as you would if there were no broody there.

So keeping them separated is good. But, like Del said, be sure they have enough room in their enclosure to be able to get out from under the heat if needed. Hopefully you could rig it so that the light is only heating about half of the crate and the other half away from it so they can choose which side they need to be on?

 

[lindz8504]

You're right.  She is trying to kill them.  You do need to protect them from that broody and raise them as you would if there were no broody there.

So keeping them separated is good.  But, like Del said, be sure they have enough room in their enclosure to be able to get out from under the heat if needed.  Hopefully you could rig it so that the light is only heating about half of the crate and the other half away from it so they can choose which side they need to be on?

I have the light pointed crooked s roughly half th crate is out of direct light. My worry is it getting too cokd with the temps getting around freezing during the night here. I didn't really want to bring them inside but don't want them to chill and die either.

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

Awesome thanks for all the helpful info, tomorrow after work this momma is going looking for the biggest pickling jar in the pantry that still has a lid =)